


A Tiger Among Kittens

by soraflye (flitterfly5)



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Cat Cafe, Cat/Human Hybrids, Coming of Age, Fluff and Smut, Kittens, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-15 05:00:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10550484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flitterfly5/pseuds/soraflye
Summary: A stray tiger-cub is taken in to Matsumoto's Neko Paradise on a cold night by the cats Satoshi and Sho-chan, sparking the jealous attention of Master Jun's favorite kitty Nino.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This is all fiction. I am not in any way associated with Arashi.
> 
> Posted a long time ago on lj.

Aiba blinked his round eyes in a confused daze and nuzzled the figure laying on the cardboard box once again.  
  
"Wake up, Mama," he whined, the soft feline ears on his head brushing the woman's unmoving breasts. The woman had the same graceful curves as him, and like him she was human in face and body, but with a tiger-striped tail growing out of her lower back just above the slim buttocks and a pair of rounded black ears poking through the orange-brown hair on her head.  
  
"Mama, the sun's been up for hours now," the little Aiba cub whined some more, nudging his mother uncertainly. He could hear the first groans of the streetcars and shopfronts begin to fill the street behind him and shivered violently, trying to snuggle closer to his mother so they could share the warmth of their bodies on this crisp autumn morning.  
  
"Why aren't you warm, Mama?" He pressed a hand against the woman's cheek, suddenly scared. "Why aren't you waking up?" He shook her as best he could with his scrawny arms, his tiger tail twitching nervously on the dirty cardboard as he began crying.  
  
"Mama, wake up!" he sobbed, still pushing and shaking the unresponsive figure. "Wake up... wake up..."  
  
The tears dripped off his pointy little chin and landed on his bare arms, icy cold against his skin.  
  
"Mama..." he gave one last sobbing whimper before giving up and breaking down completely. The morning air was frigid and gusts of wind began to blow their little nest of newspapers and cardboard boxes into swirling patterns of disarray. Bereft of all shelter, Aiba curled up into a miserable ball against a scratchy brick wall.  
  
The last thing he was aware of before sudden darkness claimed him was the fluttering noise his frayed shirt made as it flapped against his body in the wind.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Nino was a spoiled little kitten. He had been gifted to Matsumoto's Neko Paradise almost as soon as he learned to walk and Master Jun had taken an instant liking to his adorable pout. So of course, Nino had grown up with his handsome owner lavishing attention on him; his childhood meals were frothy puffs of cream that the Master let him lick off his bare hands, his morning routines always included an hour of Master Jun's expert grooming, and sometimes, just _sometimes_ , the little kitten was even allowed the privilege of accompanying the Master to bed at night.  
  
There was nothing more Nino loved than being in bed with the Master. Just thinking about it made his kitty tail curl and sweep in a tantalizing snake-like fashion as he lounged about on his sumptuous cushions. Master Jun liked warmth, and he would almost always hold Nino's slim body flush against his own as they slept under his silken covers. And then their breaths would mingle, and the Master's deft fingers would start caressing him in ways that sent giddy tingles of pleasure from the tips of his yellow ears to the ends of his stubby toes.  
  
It was kitty paradise to be touched by Master like that, and Nino's fuzzy feline heart would blossom like a passionflower whenever it happened. It was exciting to him, that contact of skin against skin, and he wanted more from Master Jun. Much, much, more.  
  
And Nino was a kitten used to getting exactly what he wanted.  
  
All his life, he had been sheltered and pampered with the softest velvet cushions and the creamiest platters of milk; when he desired something, he only had to meow for it and it would be delivered promptly to his cushy pen on a trail of ribbons and sparkles. And over the years, he had meowed for quite a lot of things: food, drink, fluffy toys, balls of yarn... Though to be fair, he had never demanded a _person_ before, much less a person as illustrious and important as his Master.  
  
 _But still,_ Nino thought with a confident grin, _Master loves me so much he'd probably give me anything as long as I whine sweetly enough._  
  
His slinky golden tail twitched in smug anticipation as he looked over to where his Master lay half asleep under the covers. It was time to take action. Slowly, Nino nuzzled his nose into Master's neck and began to work his way up tenderly, his eyes fixed on those handsome lips he wanted to kiss so ardently, but the human batted him away before he could even get close.  
  
"I see my little kitty wants some love," teased the Master. "But you're still too young right now, kitty. Master does not make love to minors, you know."  
  
Nino pouted and pawed at his Master's chest unrepentantly.  
  
"I'm only three months away from being fully grown," he purred, as persuasively as he could. "My body is just as mature as Sho-chan's or Satoshi's, Master."  
  
Jun just laughed and pushed him off with an amused twinkle in his eyes.  
  
"Then perhaps you should go sleep with Sho-chan and Satoshi in their kitty pen tonight," he said with a wicked smile. "That ought to teach your over-eager mind a thing or two about what your body can and can't take."  
  
Nino gave an annoyed mewl as he unfurled his body, already missing his Master's touch.  
  
"Master says I'm his favorite," he said sulkily. "But Master gave all of his attention to Sho-chan last night, and at playtime he touches Satoshi more than he touches me. I think Master's a liar."  
  
"How can you say that?" The Master laughed again. "I cuddled with you for over an hour before calling Sho-chan in for the night, and if I remember correctly, you monopolized my lap for _all_ of playtime, you little brat."  
  
"Well, Master lets them both touch him in places he doesn't let me," Nino huffed. "And Master _kissed_ them. On the mouth. With tongue. I want that."  
  
"Oh, _do_ you now?" Matsumoto Jun leaned forward and grabbed his kitten's wrist, a dangerous glint suddenly visible in his eyes.  
  
"Be careful what you wish for, my sweet little pet," he said warningly. "You have no idea what I might do to you once I taste those pouty lips of yours."  
  
Nino's eyes widened in surprise. He had never heard his Master use this tone before. It was low, sensual, and some might even go so far as to call it _thrilling_ in a darkly sexy way, but to the golden kitten, it was nothing but unsettling. Fearful shivers were trickling down every segment of his slinky spine, freezing his desires and locking up his normally sharp tongue.  
  
 _What's wrong with me? Why am I so afraid to find out what Master could do to me?_  
  
Trembling, he slid his small hand out of his Master's grasp and coiled up, his thin arms covering his chest instinctively and his short legs drawn up to hide his pelvis. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt a strange need to hide himself from Master Jun's intensely piercing gaze.  
  
 _Maybe I_ am _too young for this, after all._  
  
"Go now, kitty," said the Master dismissively with a wave of his hand. "You overstepped the bounds with me tonight. Get Satoshi for me on your way back to your kitty nest, will you?"  
  
Nino nodded, still mute, and scampered off the bed to find his brother Satoshi.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What is that?"  
  
Satoshi felt a none-too-gentle nudge in his ribs. _Ow_ , he thought, curling his snake-like tail around the other cat in a gesture of fond annoyance. Sho-chan had never been a good judge of how much force his silly air muscles were _actually_ capable of generating.  
  
"I think it's a person," he answered vaguely, turning his gaze to the thing outside the window that Sho-chan was pointing to. "Or maybe a kitten."  
  
"Why's it not moving?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe it's asleep."  
  
Sho-chan smacked him on the head, right in between his velvety ginger ears.  
  
"Bakatoshi!" the younger cat scolded. "It can't be asleep! Who the heck sleeps on the street in this sort of weather? We should go take a look!"  
  
Satoshi rubbed his smarting head.  
  
"If you say so," he said passively.  
  
He followed Sho-chan out the front door of Matsumoto's Neko Paradise, licking his delicate hands as he walked. He always followed Sho like a docile kitten, even though it was supposed to be the other way around since _he_ was technically the alpha-cat of the Paradise. But he didn't mind it too much. _As long as I get to be the one who pounces on Sho-chan when the lights are off and Master Jun is busy snuggling with Nino._ Satoshi gave a secret little grin as he thought of all the alpha-cat-like things that Sho-chan let him do in the secrecy of the night. _Ho ho,_ he tittered. _It's the nights that matter._  
  
A blast of wind swept over his freshly-licked hands, making his skin tingle with bone-chilling cold. He snuck closer to Sho-chan.  
  
"It's cold," he grumbled, but Sho-chan was already kneeling by the mysterious figure on the pavement, ignoring him. Pouting a little, Satoshi peered over his companion's shoulder to look at the thing that was captivating his Sho-chan so much.  
  
He tilted his head in confusion when he saw.  
  
The ragged figure lying on their doorstep was indeed a kitten, just as he had guessed, but neither he nor Sho-chan could say what kind exactly. The ears looked funny, they noticed, not sharp and pointy like their own but more rounded and with coarser hairs, and the tail was a strange striped pattern of orange and black, and even though its owner was obviously younger than both of them, his tail was longer than either of theirs.  
  
"Oh god! He's alive!" Sho-chan cried after pressing his hands and face into the strange kitten's neck. "Help me, 'Toshi. We have to get him inside and make him warm!"  
  
Satoshi was surprised, but he obeyed his Sho-chan. A twinkling of pity lit up in his chest as he moved in to grab the kitten's bruised arm and laid eyes on the haggard face above it. The stranger couldn't be much older than his brother, he thought, but his skin was already dirty and scarred, and his limbs felt even bonier than Nino's when he touched them.  
  
He was beautiful, though.  
  
Even with all the filth on him, Satoshi could see that he was definitely the prettiest kitten to ever walk through the doors of Matsumoto's Neko Paradise.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Toshi-nii, Master wants you in his bed tonight."  
  
"Okay, I'll be right there."  
  
" _Now_ , Nii-chan. He doesn't like to be kept waiting."  
  
"I know that. I told you, I'll be right there!"  
  
"What is it you're all hunched over right now, anyways? A new game?"  
  
Nino walked suspiciously over to where the two older cats were huddled in their pen with a pile of cushions around them. He liked games (they were his second favorite thing after Master Jun's cuddles), and he always got jealous when the other two secretly leveled up their characters while he had to perform his ultra-important duties as Master Jun's favorite kitty.  
  
"Don't you dare play without me again!" He was about to throw a tantrum when he suddenly stopped in his steps and realized what it was that his brother and friend were focused so intently on.  
  
"Shhhh!" Sho-chan clapped a hand around Nino's pouting mouth. "We don't want to wake him up just yet."  
  
Fascinated, Nino pushed Sho's hand away and leaned in closer to look at the unconscious figure that was breathing shallowly on the plush cushions Satoshi had arranged around him.  
  
It was a kitten, but Nino had never seen a kitten with such graceful long limbs, nor had he ever seen such a long tail or such a fierce orange-black pattern; and those two fluffy round ears poking out like little button mushrooms - "Kawaii!" Nino couldn't help but gasp aloud. Enraptured, he reached out to touch them, his feline nature wanting to lick and groom everything about this pretty pretty stranger, but at that very moment, the strange kitten chose to groggily open his eyes, and immediately, two things happened at the same time: the stranger bolted upright in fear and tried to bury his face in a big purple pillow while Nino's eyes went even wider at the brief meeting of their gazes before Sho-chan and Satoshi had to physically steady him as a sudden impact to his kittenish heart threatened to topple him off balance.  
  
"Nino! Are you all right?"  
  
He saw his brother's concerned face hovering next to his.  
  
"I'm all right," he reassured him. "Just shocked, that's all."  
  
But that was really not _all_. The blood was still pounding in his veins as he turned back to the trembling figure that was now peeking apprehensively over the top edge of the pillow it was clutching to its chest. Desire, hot, _bestial_ desire, swelled Nino's narrow body, making something in between his legs tingle with heat. He suddenly felt more alert and alive than he had ever felt in his life, and his breaths became short and rapid; a powerful force was pulling him to the strange kitten, urging him to plaster his body against that thin one behind the pillow and to move, to grind, to mate and breed. It was sort of like what he felt when Master Jun caressed him sometimes, only stronger, much, much stronger, because with the Master, it was about touching and trusting, but with this gorgeous new kitten, he actually felt a raging need to be physically _joined_ so that their bodies were one and the same. He had never felt this way before.  
  
Slowly, he stalked towards the cowering stray, his yellow tail beginning to rise and undulate sensually in anticipation of the first touch.  
  
"Uh-oh." He heard Sho-chan's voice whisper loudly to Satoshi. "I think Nino's just had his Awakening."  
  
That was followed by a series of incoherent splutters from his Nii-chan, but Nino paid him no attention.  
  
 _So this is what they mean by the Awakening._ He gave an excited purr as he closed in on the frightened golden eyes, licking his delicate lips hungrily.  
  
He had heard of the Awakening before because both Satoshi and Sho-chan had been Awakened, and by each other, no less. Satoshi was first, and everyone in the Paradise still remembered how miserable it had been for the subsequent month between his Awakening and Sho's. The ginger cat would yowl and hiss non-stop every day, trying to paw at Sho's pants during meal times and sobbing uncontrollably at night as he had to forcibly restrain himself from pouncing on a still-innocent and very much alarmed Sho-chan. Master Jun had had to 'discipline' Satoshi several times to get him to calm down, which was odd because Satoshi was usually the most well behaved of the three cats. But Satoshi seemed to have a rather odd liking for the 'disciplining' back then, which had made both Nino and Sho-chan wonder what exactly it was that Master Jun punished him with. The torture didn't last long, though, because (much to everyone's relief), Sho-chan managed to get himself Awakened within a month of Satoshi by walking in on him while he was sleeping in the bathtub, and since then, both cats had lived in contentment in their shared pen.  
  
 _And now it's my turn_ , Nino thought with a bestial grin as his golden tail gave one final swish before he sprang onto the terrified kitten's lap and began to scratch frantically at the nuisance of a pillow that was separating his body from his victim's. He needed, oh so desperately, to feel the other's skin press against his own so that they could mate and draw out the delicious seeds of life from each other's bodies. His head tunneled its way into the other kitten's neck, licking at it and biting playfully at the prominent clavicles through the thin rags. _Annoying rags_. He clawed at them, wanting to rip them into shreds so he could get to the naked skin underneath.  
  
"Stop! Mercy!" screeched the creature piteously, writhing and squirming as Nino's agile young body bowled him over on his back and began to grind their crotches together with harsh force. "I didn't do anything, I swear! I was only looking at your garbage! I-I didn't do anything wrong! Please, _please_ stop torturing me!"  
  
But before either Satoshi or Sho-chan could come to the stray's rescue, a stern voice sounded from the door.  
  
"What's all this commotion? And why hasn't Satoshi come to my bed yet?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When Aiba first opened his eyes, he wasn't sure if he was dead or alive. He had spent the past two days scrounging trash and trying to find shelter in the city. A new cardboard box, perhaps, or a discarded tablecloth if he was lucky. But he wasn't lucky, and after two days, he had ended up in an unknown part of town with an empty belly and nothing but a tattered old blanket left by his mother. He was pretty sure he had fainted several times as he walked, but every time he woke up, it had been cold and hard.  
  
 _So where am I now? And why isn't it cold here?_  
  
He blinked groggily, trying to focus his vision on a blobby shape in front of him... It looked like a face. A very cute face, with watery brown eyes and carelessly dressed black hair and two pointy yellow ears poking up on its head.  
  
 _EH??? Ears??!! Another cub?!_ He was so shocked that he sat up like a bolt, eyes darting around to take in the scene. He saw two other cubs sitting slightly further away, one with ginger ears and one with black ears. They were all clean and groomed and staring at him, and he suddenly felt very ashamed. He was so dirty and scratched up compared to them. He wanted to hide, but there was nowhere to go, so he grabbed the nearest pillow and used it to cover his face and body. It was a long pillow, so it did the job quite well.  
  
He really hoped they wouldn't ask him questions. He didn't know what he could possibly say to such a distinguished looking trio of cubs, especially that first one with the pretty eyes and the lips that looked so soft and moist.  
  
But as he hid in his shame, he could hear their voices talking to each other. The pretty one, he gathered, was called Nino, and he was apparently being supported by the two others because he was ill or something. Aiba could hear the shuffling of their knees against the tatami and the cushions, and it sparked enough curiosity in him that he ventured a tiny peek over the edge of his pillow. It wasn't safe, he told himself, don't do it! But something in him really wanted to see if the pretty cub was all right, so he took the risk, and peeped.  
  
A terrified whimper escaped his lips and his entire body froze as his eyes made direct contact with the pretty cub's bold gaze.  
  
He was helpless, completely helpless. The pretty cub had been looking directly at him. And there had been some interest in his eyes! For some reason, just the knowledge that he was interesting enough to look at sent a wave of pleasure down the tiger's thin frame. Those soft brown eyes were still staring at him, transfixing him with a growing interest that gradually turned into a burning fire that danced and flared in the pretty depths... Except... the more Aiba looked at them, the less pretty and more ferocious they became, until they were like nothing but two giant pools of dark hunger, straining to devour him.  
  
Aiba was really scared now. Even more scared than when his mother went to sleep and never woke up. He heard one of the other cubs whisper something about an 'Awakening,' but he had no idea what that was supposed to mean. He guessed it was probably something dangerous, judging by the way that Nino's golden tail was curling up slyly like a serpent about to strike. That scared him even more, and he trembled.  
  
Nino pounced. He saw it a split second before it happened, but it wasn't enough time for his weak limbs to react, and he ended up underneath the kitten-cub with nothing but a floppy purple pillow protecting him against his assailant.  
  
"Stop! Mercy!" he cried piteously. "I didn't do anything, I swear! I was only looking at your garbage! I-I didn't do anything wrong! Please, _please_ stop torturing me!"  
  
He didn't know how such a beautiful creature could have turned into such a savage beast, but he did know that he was too weak to fight back. All he could do was mewl and beg and stare imploringly at the two others for help.  
  
But before anyone could come to his rescue, a deep voice sounded by the door.  
  
"What's all this commotion? And why hasn't Satoshi come to my bed yet?"  
  
Aiba felt his attacker's body slacken and fall back at once. Relieved, but still very much traumatized, the young tiger cub curled himself up into a little ball and again covered his face with the now-ruined pillow.  
  
"Who is this?" the deep voice demanded.  
  
"We found him unconscious outside our front door, Master," said one of the older cubs, the same one who had whispered about the Awakening. "We were just nursing him back to health."  
  
Aiba didn't need to see to know that the face with the deep voice was probably giving them a raised-eyebrows look.  
  
"Well, that's at least what Satoshi and I were _planning_ on doing, but then Nino came along, and-and... and..."  
  
"Nino's been Awakened, Master," the voice of the other older cub finished the sentence tensely. "By _him_."  
  
There was a silence, and then Aiba heard footsteps approaching him. A gentle hand tugged the pillow out of his arms and tilted his chin up to examine his face. It was the person with the deep voice that the others all called Master. He seemed to be human, and his dark eyes were full of pity as they looked him up and down.  
  
"A tiger cub, huh?" he smiled, fondling Aiba's ears. "What's your name?"  
  
"Aiba," whispered the tiger. "Mama always called me Aiba."  
  
"And where is Mama now?" The gentle hand was now tickling his chin lightly. It made Aiba feel strange shivers all over his bony body, but it wasn't unpleasant.  
  
"Mama's gone," he answered honestly, looking into the man's pitying face.  
  
There was another minute or two of quiet, where he and the man looked into each other's eyes, reading each other intently while Satoshi and the other older cub that talked a lot gave little meows of sympathy. The cub called Nino was completely silent.  
  
Then the man stood up and barked some orders.  
  
"Sho-chan, draw a bath for our new friend. Satoshi, see to your brother."  
  
He turned back to Aiba and extended an inviting hand.  
  
"Come, Aiba, your new Master is now going to bathe you so you can be all clean to snuggle with him tonight."  
  
Aiba took the hand. He decided he liked this man with the deep voice, but he still didn't quite understand what was happening. _New Master? What did that mean?_ The snuggling part sure sounded good, though...  
  
"Okay." He blinked up at the man, a hesitant beam growing like a rainbow on his face. "Master," he said happily, tightening his hand where it met the other's. "Okay, Master!"  
  
But as he looked back to wave good night to the other cubs, the happy smile on his lips suddenly wilted into nothingness.  
  
Because the pretty cub, the one who had sat on him and attacked him but still somehow made his heart go all wild and fluttery, the one they called _Nino_... yes, _Nino..._ The one called _Nino_ was currently glaring at him with enough venom to murder an entire army.  
  
Aiba suddenly felt very scared again.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
"It's been three nights in a row!" complained Nino, flinging aside the little sausage toy that his brother had just given him. "I can't take it anymore! _I'm_ supposed to be Master's favorite!"  
  
"Calm down, Nino."  
  
Satoshi's voice was patient and melodic, and his hands were warm on Nino's skin as they caressed his back soothingly, but Nino dismissed his words with a glare.  
  
"That little stray has been in Master's bed for three nights in a row!" he hissed at the older cat. "How am I supposed to be calm? He's not even Awakened yet, and Master's already snuggling with him and bathing him and feeding him broth every day like he's some sort of royalty, hmph!"  
  
Satoshi wanted to point out that Master had been treating Nino like something far _above_ royalty for as long as he could remember, but he looked at Nino's murderous face and wisely decided against it.  
  
Instead, he just hummed noncommittally and continued to give his spoiled brother light little touches around the waist as the tirade went on.  
  
"Master wouldn't let me kiss him because he said I'm still a minor, but I bet he's done it with that pretty-boy tiger by now." Nino's voice held scathing venom. "I bet that tiger has somehow tricked Master into giving him _my_ place on Master's bed. I just can't believe Master Jun can be so weak in front of pretty face..."  
  
Nino began to whine and scratch in his frustration, and Satoshi had to bite his own tongue to keep himself from laughing out loud. Had Nino already forgotten how completely he had lost control of himself when _he_ first saw Aiba?  
  
"Master Jun's not the only one who's fallen under the spell of our new tiger friend," smirked Satoshi.  
  
He reached over to restrain his brother from doing more damage to the cushions and carpets, pulling the kitten into his arms invitingly. Nino had always been a jealous creature, and Satoshi knew that if Master Jun had not always been careful to openly give him the biggest gifts or pay him the most attention among the three cats, the whole Paradise would probably be in shambles from Nino's unstoppable wrath.  
  
But things were different now, Satoshi knew. Aiba was now a new member of the Paradise, and the tiger cub was so frail and tender that of course Master Jun had to be the one to personally attend to him. And with such pretty golden eyes staring up at him, who could resist the urge to pamper and snuggle and groom that poor creature? Though Satoshi seriously doubted that the Master had kissed Aiba.  
  
 _Master doesn't give his kisses away to little cubs._ Satoshi hugged his brother tighter and blushed because he knew exactly why this policy existed.  
  
"Master doesn't like me anymore," said Nino resentfully, clawing at his shoulder. "And it's all Aiba's fault! If he hadn't shown up and Awakened me, I'd still be cute and fluffy and Master would still want to cuddle with me."  
  
"That's not true." Satoshi nuzzled his brother affectionately. "You're still very cute and fluffy, Nino, and Master still cares about you. He told me to look after you because he didn't want you to hurt yourself after your Awakening." He smiled and kissed the younger cat's nose. "He said he wants you to stay the adorable brat you are so he can enjoy you properly when he calls you to his bed in three months."  
  
Unmollified, Nino just glared at him some more.  
  
"Three months? What am I supposed to do for three months?" he snapped, but Satoshi saw his golden ears perk up slightly. "Does Master think I'm just going to sit on the side like a good little kitty and watch as he and that _tiger_ kiss and snuggle every day?"  
  
Satoshi grinned and flicked the lights off with a mischievous curl of his tail. _Time to begin, hehe..._  
  
"Of course not, little brother."  
  
A sly hand ventured into Nino's pants, drawing a gasp of alarm from the unsuspecting kitten.  
  
"Master gave very _specific_ instructions on what you should be doing to prepare yourself for him during these three months," he whispered into Nino's now very erect ears. "You didn't really think that he'd let a half-starved tiger cub distract him from bedding his favorite kitty, now did you?"  
  
"Toshi-nii..." Nino whimpered as his brother's hand wound itself around something very stiff and hot in between his legs.  
  
Satoshi's long ginger tail had now curled itself around the sausage-shaped toy Nino discarded earlier, bringing it up to the moaning kitten's hands persuasively.  
  
"Be quiet and take this," the alpha cat of Matsumoto's Neko Paradise commanded. "You'll know what to do with it in about a minute or two, my dear little brother..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sho-chan was a sensible cat. He wasn't really known for his seductive abilities like Satoshi or for his cuteness like Nino, but everyone generally agreed that he had the most sensible head on his shoulders. He certainly read a lot, anyways, and whenever customers came into the Paradise cafe, nine times out of ten he'd be able to correctly judge what type of people they were based solely on voice and appearance alone. That was something Sho-chan was rather proud of.  
  
But not even Sho-chan had ever seen or heard of a _tiger_ before. Cat-people, yes, dog-people, yes, but tiger-people? Sho-chan's curiosity was very much piqued by the new member of the Paradise.  
  
"Was your mother a tiger, too?" he asked him one day as he prepared the bath water for Aiba's customary bath with the Master.  
  
A sadness entered the tiger cub's tawny-gold eyes.  
  
"Yes," he mumbled, turning his face away. Silently, Sho-chan berated himself for asking such an insensitive question.  
  
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up this sad topic..." He twisted the tap shut and tugged at Aiba's clothes until they came off his thin body. The tiger was staring at him again, those golden eyes now glinting with a defiant but slightly embarrassed look. Encouraged, Sho-chan inched his eyes over the exposed nakedness of the newly adopted youth, noting the light signs of healed scars and fading bruises on the twiggy limbs, which were slowly gaining some muscle mass due to the Master's impeccable cooking. There was something both ferocious and vulnerable about the creature that made the black cat's heart tremble with a pitying love. He was glad his Master decided to adopt this stray cub.  
  
Smiling, Sho-chan took Aiba's hand reassuringly. The tiger seemed to like being touched.  
  
"Come on, Aiba. You should get in the water."  
  
Aiba took a ginger step into the bath, still holding onto Sho's hand, and then sank down until the warm water was lapping at his neck. Sho gave an admiring sigh as he watched Aiba's shapely legs unfold themselves along the length of the tub.  
  
"I've never seen your kind before, you know." He found himself blushing as he fumbled around with the bath salts. "You're- you're really pretty. Prettier than any of the other cats I've seen, even the ones in books." He frowned a bit, and then added. "Except for Satoshi, of course. He's prettier than you, but that could just be because we mate with each other. The Zoological Society says that mating with someone makes them prettier in the mate's eyes."  
  
"Mate?" Aiba's eyes were wide and innocent.  "What does that mean?"  
  
Sho-chan gave himself a little whip with his own tail. All he had wanted to say was that Aiba was a very pretty tiger and that he was glad to welcome him to the family; how the hell did that turn into talking about _mating_? Sho grimaced. He was always so bad at giving compliments.  
  
And now Aiba was looking at him with a shy but thoughtful expression on his face.  
  
"Ne, Sho-chan? Do you think that Nino might have mated with me?"  
  
Sho-chan almost fell into the tub in surprise.  
  
"Wha-what?!" he spluttered nervously. "Why would you think that?"  
  
"Well, you remember how he, um, jumped on me that first night?" Aiba's face was flushed with embarrassment. "I thought what he did was the scariest thing that ever happened to me at the time. I thought he wanted to _kill_ me, I really did! But then... I mean, even after he attacked me like that, I, um, I just- I still can't stop thinking about how beautiful he is. I think about it every day, Sho-chan, and I just wish I could see more and more of him, because when he's in the room, I can't seem to look away from him, him with his pretty face and his pretty yellow ears, and his slowly curling tail..."  
  
Sho's jaw was just about dropped to the ground by now. He quickly stuffed the jar of bath salts back into a cupboard, because he was sure he'd drop it and scatter salt and glass everywhere if he didn't. What in the world was Aiba saying?  
  
"It must be some trick of the 'mating,' right, Sho-chan?" Aiba continued, his eyes wide with questions. "Because I know I shouldn't want to see him; he's been very mean to me for the past three days. He tries to scratch me and bite me whenever you and Satoshi aren't looking, and he always glares at me like he hates me. But even so, I just can't stop myself from thinking how pretty he is and wanting to get closer to him."  
  
"Aiba!" Sho finally managed to articulate intelligible words. "Are you saying that you actually _like_ Nino?"  
  
The tiger squirmed uncomfortably in his warm bath, the fierce tail curling up tight around his legs.  
  
"I guess so?" He looked timidly at Sho and then bit his lip. "Am I not allowed to?"  
  
 _That lucky little brat!_ Sho-chan laughed, suddenly very much relieved. Awakening itself was a purely sexual thing, and it wasn't very often reciprocated like Satoshi's was with him, but Sho had read that if two kittens had feelings for each other, it was almost always certain that they would develop beautiful, reciprocated Awakenings, which would cement their feelings into deep love as soon as they were mated.  
  
Still smiling, he leaned in over the water and gave the surprised Aiba an affectionate nuzzle on the nose.  
  
"Of course you're allowed to," he said, grinning. "You were the one who Awakened the spoiled little sourpuss, after all. Haha! Don't worry about his grouchy attitude so much, Aiba. He's just being a miserable bundle of fur these days because Master's been hiding you away from him."  
  
Sho watched with pleasure as a small gurgling giggle made its way out of Aiba's throat.  
  
"Nino's always been jealously possessive of whatever he considered to be his," he told him, the black tail behind him twisting in happy lines around his back.  
  
"He just hasn't realized that you're already on that list, too, Aiba."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Nino had never been more satiated in his life. Rolling over his cushy pillow, he stretched his back as far as it would go and gave a long, contented purr. Satoshi was sitting beside him, calmly licking his hands as usual, though Nino thought he could catch a glint of pride in his older brother's eyes.  
  
"Is this what you and Sho-chan do when you're all alone in your pen?"  
  
"Pretty much." Satoshi lifted his head from his hands long enough to give Nino a canny smirk. "Though we usually don't use toys because Sho-chan likes the real thing more. And _no_ , you're not going to be getting that from me," he added when he saw the kitten's mouth open demandingly. "I'm your brother, after all. I'm only supposed to teach you the basics."  
  
"Then have Master give me Sho-chan!" Nino pouted. "I want to try the real thing, too!"  
  
Satoshi frowned, and his lazily sweeping tail jerked to a sudden stop. A feral flash shot through his chestnut-honey eyes and for a moment, Nino actually grew afraid of his gentle Sato-niichan. But then the danger passed in what seemed to be a blink of the eye, and Satoshi merely gave a wry chuckle.  
  
"Master won't let you have Sho-chan. You're still a minor and he's already a full-grown cat. Besides, he's not your type."  
  
"And how would you know my type?" Nino challenged. "I've only been Awakened for three days."  
  
Satoshi tickled his younger brother with the fuzzy tip of his ginger tail, a look of amusement on his face.  
  
"Oh, little brother," he smiled smugly. "Did you think really think your little scratch-and-bite games could fool me? Hah! I could see you trying to rub your little tail against poor innocent Aiba ever since your Awakening, Nino. Sho-chan would be a tad too _tame_ for your taste, I think."  
  
"You're being ridiculous!" Nino sprang up, offended. "There's no one I despise more than that mangy little tiger!"  
  
"That's not what it seemed like three days ago when you were making cow's eyes and gasping _'kawaii'_ all over his tigerish manginess."  
  
"That was- that was _before_ I realized he was an evil beast out to trick our Master!" the kitten hissed, hating the way his cheeks were already starting to grow hot as he recalled the electricity in that first eye contact. "I don't care how good he looks now, anyone who takes Master Jun away from me will suffer my hatred!"  
  
Satoshi snickered.  
  
"Does this hatred possibly involve impaling yourself on a certain part of his wild, tiger body?"  
  
Nino fumed, now completely red, and shoved his brother aside so that the newly grown (and disconcertingly proud) bulge in between his legs would not be seen.  
  
"I'm going to go speak with Master!" he spat, wrapping a _very_ loose robe around his shoulders, and then stalked out the door with his tail in the air like a defiant flag of warning.  
  
Looking supremely satisfied with himself, Satoshi tucked his feet back under some warm cushions and went back to licking his hands.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Aiba had grown increasingly comfortable with his new home and its inhabitants (well, with the obvious exception of that sullen Nino), and for the first time in his life, the tiger cub found that he could wake up every morning feeling safe. There was no more cold, just the soft sunlight that streamed through his Master Jun's large windows, and there was no more hunger either, as the Master would always be there to greet him with a platter full of meats and cream by the bedside.  
  
 _This really is Paradise._  
  
To Aiba, Master Jun was a hero, and he loved everything about him. He loved the the soft auburn color of Master's hair, loved the thick but very refined lines of his prominent brows, loved the clean white teeth and the way they shone when Master smiled his dazzling smile. Master was beautiful, and Aiba was proud to call himself one of Master Jun's pets. It made him feel beautiful himself, which was something he had never felt before.  
  
"Sho-chan said I was pretty, though," he murmured to himself as he soaked up the warmth of the bath. "Apparently, I'm so pretty that even Nino wants me."  
  
He poked his bright orange tail out of the water just a tiny inch and swirled it around absent-mindedly, letting the gentle currents push against his bare skin. Could that really be true? Nino the prettiest kitten, who even the Master talked about with shining eyes, could such a perfect creature really be thinking tenderly of a stray nobody like him? Aiba scratched his furry black ears uncertainly.  
  
"Is that a lovesick little tiger cub I see in my tub?"  
  
Aiba's head whipped around, startled at the sudden voice behind him.  
  
"Master!" he cried in delight. "You're here! Are you going to shampoo me tonight?" His ears were perked up in rapt anticipation. Aiba loved being shampooed.  
  
"Yes, of course." Master Jun smiled kindly and ruffled the cub's shaggy hair, examining his body with the critical eye of a doctor assessing a patient.  
  
"You look much better than you did three days ago, Aiba. I see your muscles are finally regaining some shape after all those years of malnourishment, ne?" The Master sounded very pleased (which made Aiba feel pleased as well), and began feeling Aiba's arms and legs with his strong hands.  
  
"Hmm... so young and pure," he murmured. "I think you're about the same age as my Nino." The Master gave an enigmatic smile and dragged a stool to the tub-side, taking a seat and beginning to rub some flowery-smelling shampoo into Aiba's hair. "You might be Awakening soon, too, you know."  
  
Aiba twisted around to look up at his Master inquisitively.  
  
"All this Awakening business! Sho-chan said I _Awakened_ Nino, but I don't know what that means."  
  
"It means my sweet little Nino is now ready to find a mate for himself." Master Jun chuckled and squeezed some foam out of Aiba's hair. "He's been quite antsy recently, have you noticed? Master here has had a pretty hard time keeping him away from you."  
  
"What? Why were you doing that, Master?" Aiba felt an odd sense of panic and betrayal at those words. "Do you not want me to be Nino's mate?"  
  
"No, no, it's nothing of that sort!" Master reassured him. "I'm just trying to protect you, little tiger. You're still innocent, and if Nino tries to mate with you before you're Awakened, it'll be very painful and traumatizing."  
  
Relaxing slightly, Aiba let his head loll back into Master Jun's firm hands. He still didn't know what 'mating' was, and the Master's words didn't exactly make him want to ask more about it. But he _did_ know that being Nino's mate meant that Nino would look at him the same way Sho-chan looked at Satoshi, as if he was the most beautiful creature on earth. It might even mean that Nino would give him an occasional snuggle or a hug.  
  
And that was enough to make Aiba want to be Nino's mate.  
  
BAMM!  
  
Whorls of steam dissipated in angry wisps as the door to the bathing room banged open. A hissing figure stormed into the misty space, feet splashing on the tiled floor as he closed in on the tub, and Aiba almost jumped out of his bath in fright as he heard a voice that he both desired and dreaded to hear.  
  
"Master, move away from that tiger! He's dangerous! He'll-"  
  
Aiba's eyes were like two big saucers about to shatter as he braced himself to meet Nino's fuming glare. _He sounds so furious. There's no way he wants to have anything to do with me..._ His skinny shoulders drooped in dejection and instinctively he curled up, away from where his Master's hands had suddenly stiffened and stopped massaging his head. _Nino hates me. He really does._ His long tiger tail sank back into the water and clung around his leg like a miserable eel.  
  
But when Nino emerged from the mist and their eyes finally met, honey-gold to chestnut-brown, all Aiba could see in that haunting face was an expression of shocked wonder. The angry voice had been cut off abruptly by a visible gulp in the young cat's throat, and he seemed to be struggling to find more words to say as his eyes roamed hungrily back and forth along the wavy contours of Aiba's submerged (but still clearly visible) body.  
  
"Nino." The Master's voice held a note of reproach. "Aren't you supposed to be with Satoshi right now?"  
  
"We finished," answered Nino silkily, his hungry eyes still fixed on Aiba. "Sato-nii started talking about this _tiger_ , and just the mention of his name got me so mad that I had to leave the pen."  
  
"Ni-no..." Aiba stuttered, unable to bear that vigorous stare any longer. "Please don't be mad at me. I'm-I'm not dangerous, I promise."  
  
The hunger in the kitten's eyes only burned with more ferocity as Aiba spoke.  
  
"I'll learn to be un-dangerous!" Aiba continued desperately, watching warily as Nino slinked closer and closer. "I'll even let you scratch and bite me if you want... Just please don't- don't be mad at me, and don't choose anyone as your mate yet, Nino..."  
  
He shivered and looked up with his big naive eyes as Nino hovered around him, the golden tail beating a sensual pattern in the remnants of the mist.  
  
"And why should I do what _you_ say, tiger?" hissed the cat, agilely hopping onto the marble edge of the tub. "I have Master to serve, and I'll need a mate for practice so I don't let him down when I come of age."  
  
"Because... because..." Aiba turned his head around in agitation, looking from Nino's menacing face to Master's impassive one. With a sinking heart, he realized that no one else was going to help him with the answer.  
  
"Because _I_ want to be Nino's mate," he finally whispered in a voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible. "As soon as someone Awakens me."  
  
Silence. Nino stared. Master smiled. Aiba shut his eyes and held his breath.  
  
And then, a feral yowl rang through the moist air as something very feline-feeling splashed into the tub like a soft bomb. Aiba didn't even have time to open his eyes before a soft, sweet-tasting tongue was thrust in between his lips and his mouth was being violated in an utterly devastating way.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
A fire filled Nino's small mouth, an intense, searing fire that flared up more with every touch of his tongue against Aiba's. With surprise, Nino suddenly realized that Aiba's tongue was no longer still and dormant; it was actually _moving_ as well, wrestling his own with a matching ferocity and sweeping across the tender insides of his cheeks relentlessly as it tried to force its way deeper and deeper into Nino's mouth. Nino became breathless at the very thought of it, and every hair on his body tingled with hot passion as he pinned Aiba's moaning head against the marble of the tub to devour him even more.  
  
"You're certainly pretty enough for me," he said hungrily, very much aware of Aiba's perfect nakedness. "But I won't wait until your Awakening. I need you _now_!"  
  
He pawed at Aiba's crotch frantically, and echoes of lapping water bounced off the smooth walls of the bath chamber. Out of the corner of his eye, Nino glimpsed a shadow silently slipping out the door. _Master?_ The figure turned to close the door, and their eyes met briefly. Nino shuddered strangely as he saw the evident arousal in Master Jun's piercing gaze, like the man was under some intense pressure to restrain himself from doing something; there was danger in that gaze, very much like the danger Nino had seen when he tried to kiss his Master, only now, after Satoshi's little lesson, Nino wasn't quite so afraid of it anymore. He smirked with some self-satisfaction. It seemed like there would be many, many kisses (and more) for him in the Master's bed once he came of age. _Master will extract every bit of service from me, I'm sure of it_.  
  
Master Jun gave him a very slight nod and smiled as if reading his mind. Then, he shut the door and walked away down the hall, calling for both Satoshi and Sho-chan as he went. With fresh anticipation, the young kitten turned his attention back to his victim's innocent-looking body. He was by no means experienced in the arts of mating, but instinct told him exactly what parts to focus on.  
  
"Master said it would hurt if we did it before I Awaken."  
  
Nino turned his head up from the tiger's crotch to look at his face, where two golden eyes were blinking back at him, wide with apprehension and embarrassment. It was the most adorable sight Nino had ever seen. Aiba's cheeks were still flushed from the kiss, and his luscious lips quivered lightly in the wetness.  
  
"I-I don't mind being hurt, though," he added quickly when Nino gave no immediate reply. "As long as Nino is happy."  
  
He opened his slightly curled body and exposed his neck in a feline gesture of submission, waiting with nervous breaths for the cat to make the first move.  
  
But Nino made no move at all. He couldn't, not with Aiba looking so nervous about him. A sudden hesitancy had replaced the wild passion that consumed him before, and for the first time in his life, the spoiled kitten of Matsumoto's Neko Paradise turned away to let go of something he wanted very, very badly. Strange feelings were stirring in his heart, feelings of tenderness and protectiveness towards that he couldn't explain; all he knew was that it had something to do with that tiger's innocent, golden eyes.  
  
"We should go back to our pens and sleep, Aiba."  
  
He couldn't believe the words coming out of his own mouth. Here he was, a gorgeous (naked) young tiger offering himself willingly and obediently, and yet somehow, he was prepared to forgo that in favor of a lonely night in his cushions with that silly sausage-toy instead! Awakening must have messed up some circuit in his brain. Sighing rather moodily, Nino detached himself from Aiba's body and stepped out of the tub with his sodden tail trailing on the floor behind him.  
  
"Can I sleep with Nino in his pen tonight?"  
  
The voice was low, but steady, as if the speaker had gained some sort of quiet confidence from his retreat. Nino's ears flipped up like two shining golden flags. He stopped in his steps, feeling the thump of his heartbeat grow louder and louder until he was sure it would kill him by bursting out of his chest in rabid flames.  
  
"There won't be much sleep for you if you do that," he answered tightly, not looking back.  
  
"But I don't want sleep."  
  
There was definitely a change in the tiger's tone now. His voice sounded deeper and much richer, like it was an enchanting mixture of honey and wine and nutty spreads of smooth chocolate. A low growl accompanied the words, and it made Nino's skin crawl with a sense of danger that was far more carnal than anything he had ever felt before.  
  
"I want _you_."  
  
A fierce orange and black tail snaked itself around Nino's paralyzed legs, coming to rest with a little flick on his slim waist. A pair of slender arms followed, wrapping themselves around the kitten's chest with firm suaveness, and before Nino could react, a naked erection was already pressing against his backside like a hot, rock-hard ember.  
  
"I- I thought you said you weren't Awakened yet!" was all the flustered kitten could squeak out in the overpowering scent of the tiger's musky pheromones.  
  
Aiba turned him around to face him eye to eye, and Nino's breath was stalled in his throat as he saw the animalistic light dancing in the tiger's face. Grinning in a wicked way that was so unlike anything Nino had seen of him so far, Aiba leaned in to whisper seductively in his ear.  
  
"And that was true, until the moment I saw you walking away, Nino."  
  
The warm breath was scratchy against his ears, sending a thrill through his body.  
  
 _He's Awakened! That means..._ The kitten didn't need to finish that thought, as a wild pair of lips captured his own and began forcing him back until he was lying on the wet floor with his robe pushed up to his waist and a hard throbbing thing prodding perilously at his naked hole.  
  
 _So this is what the real thing feels like._  
  
Nino whimpered as something entered him. And then he clenched. Hard.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Master left Nino alone with Aiba?" Sho-chan's voice was incredulous. "But I thought we were all trying to protect Aiba from him!"  
  
The Master wiped a trace of milky liquid from the corner of his pet's mouth where he had released a few minutes ago, and heaved a satiated sigh of pleasure.  
  
"You two make excellent guardians," he said fondly. "But I think Aiba's grown strong enough to deal with Nino on his own now."  
  
Satoshi turned his head where it lay in Master's bare lap and looked up at the man's face questioningly.  
  
"Does Master mean to say that Aiba's Awakened?" he asked hopefully. He really didn't want to have to share Sho-chan with his brother, and he'd been hoping Aiba would Awaken for this purpose.  
  
"Well, by now, he ought to be," replied the Master as he stroked the eldest cat's ears with handsome elegance. "Tigers are not like cats, you know. The fire within a tiger is not so easily aroused, but once it flares up, it's unstoppable."  
  
"So Aiba wasn't already Awakened when Master left the bath chamber?" Sho-chan frowned a little, confused. "Then how does Master know for sure that he'll Awaken before Nino attacks?"  
  
Satoshi watched through narrowed eyes as his Master cupped his Sho-chan's cute little cheek in one hand and gave him a playful kiss. He didn't mind sharing Sho-chan with Master Jun, of course, because anything that belonged to Satoshi also belonged to the Master by extension, but the eldest cat still liked to think that Sho-chan preferred to be pounded by him rather than their Master. They were mates, after all.  
  
"You're my cleverest kitty, Sho-chan," said Master Jun, smiling. "Surely you've noticed the coy little curl in our Aiba's tail whenever he sets eyes on Nino? It's so very similar to the same curl in _your_ tail when you see Satoshi licking his lips at you...Hahaha! Yes, yes, you understand now? The little tiger has been in love with my Nino since he first laid eyes on him, and a part of him was already Awakened then."  
  
"What?" exclaimed both Sho-chan and Satoshi, shocked.  
  
"How can only _part_ of him be Awakened?" demanded Sho-chan.  
  
"And how can he stay so innocent for the past few days if he's already begun to Awaken?" asked Satoshi, remembering his own torturous Awakening.  
  
"Tigers are fierce creatures, but they have tender hearts." The Master petted them both sweetly. "They don't mate without love. Which means, of course, that they will not Awaken fully until they can identify a mate they love."  
  
"And Aiba did so?"  
  
Master Jun nodded, a satisfied look on his face. "He looked our hot-blooded Nino straight in the eye and told him he wanted to be his mate. And Nino jumped right on him. It was the last step."  
  
"So now..." Satoshi began hesitantly. "Are they, erm, _doing_ it now, Master?"  
  
"I'd assume so," said the Master wryly. "I've heard that tigers can be quite seductive once the mating mood takes over. I can only hope that you prepared your brother well for this." He gave his eldest cat a knowing smirk. Satoshi winced as he felt Sho-chan's body stiffen beside his own.  
  
 _Oh great. A jealous Sho-chan right after a jealous Nino._ He rolled his eyes. Sho-chan could be just as sullen as Nino when he wanted to be, especially where Satoshi was concerned. A good blowjob usually shut him up, though. The ginger cat's tail began moving sensually against the sheets. Yes, a good blowjob was definitely on the menu for the night.  
  
"I just hope those two don't wear each other out in these next three months..." the Master was musing. "I'm very much looking forward to enjoying them both when the time comes... just think! they'll be all rosy with love..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So are we mates now?" panted Aiba, as he clumsily wiped at the juices that were leaking from the pretty kitten's hole. They were Aiba's own juices, and the young tiger was rather pleased with himself for filling his lover up so fully. Nino had let him do it to both his mouth and his ass, and Aiba grinned happily as he remembered how Nino never seemed to lose hunger for more of his seed.  
  
Nino was frowning, though, and examining his body in one of the large mirrors on the wall. With a twinge of guilt, Aiba saw that he had perhaps not been as gentle as he thought he was during the... the mating. The kitten's entire back was scratched up and there were bite marks and hickeys dotted along his shoulders and neck.  
  
"I'm sorry," mumbled the tiger, upset at himself. "I didn't mean to hurt Nino."  
  
Inside, he was panicking. What if Nino didn't like being his mate? Was there such a thing as un-mating? He really hoped there wasn't, because he never wanted to leave his pretty kitten's side.  
  
"It's okay," said Nino, giving his rounded ear a nibble. "I don't mind being hurt by my Aiba-chan."  
  
"' _My_ Aiba-chan?'"Aiba repeated softly, glowing with pleasure. "Then we _are_ mates then!"  
  
He could hardly keep his mouth closed from smiling. Nino didn't hate him anymore. Nino had just chosen him to be his mate, and from now on, he would be allowed to give Nino as many of those kissy, huggy things as he wanted.  
  
"Oh, I don't know about that!" laughed the kitten mischievously. "I'll only take the best, and I'm not sure you satisfy all the requirements, you clumsy little tiger!"  
  
Aiba's face fell. All he wanted was to be able to snuggle and whisper in the kitten's ear and have him gaze at him the way Sho-chan gazed at Satoshi, but he was soon discovering that every minute spent with Nino was like being on an emotional roller coaster, full of terrifying swings and stops and sweeps and dives. And he wasn't sure if he could handle it.  
  
"What requirements do you have?" he asked in a small voice, feeling very insignificant.  
  
"Well first of all, you'd have to be strong and fierce. That's _basic_."  
  
Nino preened himself daintily, licking at one of the scratches on his arm. Aiba raised both eyebrows at him.  
  
"You, uh, you don't think I was fierce enough just now?" he asked in disbelief. "I mean, your body looks pretty roughed up, Nino..."  
  
He took the arm the kitten was licking and gave it a hesitant kiss, right on the angry red mark that he had inflicted just an hour or so ago. He still felt very guilty about it, but a part of him was also beginning to warm up with a weird  pride at the notion that his beautiful Nino might actually have enjoyed it.  
  
Nino just smirked, beating his golden tail in the air as he watched the tiger kiss his arm with amused detachment.  
  
"Oh, I think you've got those basics covered," said the kitten sweetly. "Otherwise I wouldn't have let you touch me. But simply being a crazy wild brute won't get you the Paradise's prize kitty as a mate, you know."  
  
With a graceful twirl, Nino removed his arm from Aiba's lips and slipped off the luxurious marble slab they were both lying on. Aiba whined a bit at the loss of contact. He wanted Nino close to him. Remnants of his carnal instinct were still rumbling in his gut, and he was secretly hoping that Nino would let him stick and fill him a few more times before they left the bath chamber. But he was cautious not to do anything too rash because he didn't want to upset the kitten, not when he had just managed to get on his good side.  
  
"What else would you like me to be, then, Nino?" He followed Nino off the marble slab and tugged at the kitten's tail shyly.  
  
"Hmm... Let me think..." said Nino, slyly sweeping his eyes under his long lashes. "I suppose anyone who wants to be my mate should try to be as close to the real thing as possible..." Nino hopped away lightly so that he was just out of Aiba's reach and playfully grinned back at him. "Ne, Aiba-chan? Do you think you could be like _Master Jun_ for me? It's always been my dream,you see, to devote myself completely to the Master and his bed."  
  
Aiba's arms dropped back to his sides like two leaden sticks, and he could feel the dejection washing over his entire body at those simpering words. So Nino didn't really feel the same way about him at all... The tiger's furry ears drooped in disappointment. Of course, Nino belonged to the Master, and if he could, he'd probably choose the Master as his mate, too. Aiba kicked himself silently for daring to think that a street tiger like him could be the one to own the heart of the Paradise's prize kitty when there was someone as great and kind as Master Jun living in the same house. He was stupid, always so stupid. No one had ever told him that being mates meant being in love, after all. He had just assumed it, like it was something natural and given.  
  
"What's wrong, Aiba?"  
  
With great difficulty, he looked back up at Nino's pretty brown eyes, which were studying him intently.  
  
"Does Master Jun give you more pleasure than me?" he finally asked in a wavering voice, and immediately wanted to shut his ears so he wouldn't have to hear the answer.  
  
"Why do you ask that?" Nino licked his delicate lips with the tip of his clean pink tongue and stepped closer, the twinkle of mischief still in his eyes. "Are you upset or something?"  
  
"No!"  
  
The tiger bit his fingers nervously. He didn't know what else to say. He didn't want to ruin what he just had with Nino by admitting his unease, but it was out of his power to construct lies on why he wasn't upset. He blinked and tried to swallow a hard lump that was forming in his throat, whimpering a little. Why did a conversation with Nino always make him feel like he was being grilled over a torturously slow flame?  
  
"Oh Aiba!" Nino's smirk had broadened by a mile as he reached up to twiddle the tiger's ears cheekily. "You've got jealousy stamped all over that cute tiger face!" he crooned victoriously, breaking into a burst of giggles. "Say, you didn't actually think that a pretty creature like you would be a nothing but a substitute to me, did you?"  
  
"Eh?" Aiba stared. "But you just said- about Master... and about serving him!"  
  
"Of course I'll still serve him!" Nino scoffed and prowled over to where his discarded robe lay, wrapping it around his shoulders with a sniff. "I must always be Master's favorite kitty. It's just that now, I've decided I want to be _Aiba's_ favorite kitty as well." He tied the sash around his waist and flashed Aiba a seductive smile. "So you better not love anyone more than you love me!"  
  
Aiba's eyes were wide with shock, and then delight.  
  
"Nino wants my love!" Bounding over to where Nino stood, he almost felt his heart fly out his throat as he grabbed the kitten and pressed him close to his naked chest. "Nino loves me, too, then!"  
  
"Yes- yes, I love you, you big idiot!" The cat squirmed and scratched in the sudden embrace, gasping for breath. "Now let me go, and put on some clothes so we can walk to my pen and continue this somewhere more comfortable."  
  
Aiba's eyes gave off an expectant gleam at those last words and his long orange tail twitched with excitement. The carnal instinct was beginning to swell in his body again, and by the time he stalked his way through dark halls to Nino's pen, always keeping his golden eyes fixed on the more-and-more-delicious-looking kitten in front of him, he was ready to explode.  
  
Nino barely had time to close the door before he heard a snarling noise and felt himself being pounced on by a very much Awakened tiger. Mercilessly, the fabric was torn off his shoulders and thin but strong arms dragged him over to his bed of cushions while a slobbering mouth attacked every inch of exposed skin on his body.  
  
"Ah!" he squealed as two fiery eyes hovered close to his face. A familiar hardness poked between his legs and he gave a wanton mewl, clutching at the burning body pressing down on him. There was only one word left in his vocabulary at this point.  
  
"Aiba," he whispered, and then cried out desperately as their bodies joined in a flash of pain and pleasure. "Aiba! Aiba! Aiba!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
 **Epilogue - After a tumble and romp in Nino's pen**  
  
"Why couldn't you just have told me you loved me from the start?" grumbled Aiba, batting at Nino's fluffy ears. "You had me so scared, Nino. I thought you were going to say you didn't want me anymore."  
  
The golden kitten grinned a devious grin that Aiba was soon becoming all too familiar with, and flicked his tongue over the limp piece of flesh lying between the tiger's legs, tasting the juice that was still on it.  
  
"Cats _play_ with their food before eating it."  
  
He teased it again with another flick of his artful tongue, and felt it harden just a little before drawing back and smirking up at the tiger's moaning face.  
  
"Or didn't anyone ever tell you that, Aiba-chan?"  
  
The next thing he knew, his face was being forced into Aiba's crotch and a menacing voice was growling in his ear:  
  
"Kittens shouldn't stretch the patience of tigers, Nino. Now finish what you started!"  
  
Nino was only too happy to oblige.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
END


End file.
